This cache is part of the 25 cache Pennsylvania State Parks America250PA GeoTrail. Have fun exploring and discovering Pennsylvania's history.
Just a few hundred feet away from this location stood the Juniata Iron Furnace. Started in 1808, the Juniata Iron Furnace complex would operate until around 1849. It was founded by wealthy land-owner and Revolutionary War Captain William Power in partnership with prominent Carlisle lawyer David Watts. What is unusual about this furnace site is that the stone stack is no longer here - only ruins that tell us where it once stood. It is now believed that the stones from the original stack were re-used to build the foundation of Shoaff's Mill. It was said at one point there were two furnaces, a forge, numerous outbuildings, and an ore roaster, the last of which is the only structure still intact from this complex.
Captain Power continued to serve under General John Wilkins Jr. throughout the early 1790s. Conflicts with Indigenous tribes continued
as post-war veterans began claiming land in the western frontier, pushing tribes further west. In addition, a new tax on whiskey was imposed to help recover debt incurred from the war, resulting in the Whiskey Rebellion. After the war, he helped finance the construction of the Juniata Furnace and maintained his involvement until around 1824 when he leased the furnace out as he became heavily involved in the government. He was named Justice of the Peace in 1820, and then county treasurer in 1822.
David Watts was a well-known and respected local lawyer. Watts Township was named after him in 1849. David died in 1819, and his obituary stated "for many years an eminent attorney at law. The poor will feel his loss". His son Frederick, also a lawyer, inherited his share of the furnace property but preferred a life of agriculture. Frederick Watts lived a very influential life in both farming and government - he was the founder of the Farmer's High School, which would later become the Pennsylvania State University, as well as an agricultural commissioner under President Grant, helping to develop the Forest Service.
Clues to the iron furnace can be found throughout the park. As you continue on Mill Race Trail, look for black or green rocks with tiny holes. These are pieces of slag, which are leftover material from the iron smelting process. Along Buffalo Ridge Trail, three charcoal hearths, one which can be seen from the trail, provide clues to what fueled the furnace and what may have led to its closure.
For more information about this state park and its amenities please visit: Little Buffalo State Park | Department of Conservation and Natural Resources| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
